Diary 1/31/12

Worked on beds in lower greenhouse.  Planted Snow peas and Sugar Snaps.  It may be a bit early, but the soil seemed warm in there.  Have some gophers wandering around, but not so much in that greenhouse. Still 4 deer eating the cover crop in the fields.  Actually there were 12 at one point, we thinned down to the same 4 that have been there all winter.  Arrggh! Looks like a dry spell coming up even if not especially warm.  Maybe start on some raspberry clean-up if it is nice enough.

Diary 1/30/12

This pansy is no pansy at all when you consider it was blooming at the very end of the bed, next to the door, of the coolest greenhouse; barely protected enough to bloom. Self sown pansies are popping up here and there.  I hope for a variety of colors, but one never knows until they bloom who there mother was.

Diary 1/27/12

I am hoping the computer problems were related to sunspots.  For now, things seem to be back to normal,  I cleaned and scanned and moved some things about, so maybe I did something.  Rainy days make hard rocks shine, showing us that we were not the first ones to live here.

Diary 1/26/12

I am having computer problems.  The tech says it is my problem, not the satellite connection, so may have to haul tower down to local guy to look over.  I can once in awhile get to email, but can't open certain files or respond in any way.  So, if I am missing for awhile, that is why.  Garden Girl has left for awhile and though I miss her, I will get lots done in her absence.  Started turning bed for peas yesterday.  Have plenty of that to do as rototiller doesn't work well in greenhouses and the worms are glad it doesn't.  Not going to try to add a picture because it may not work.  Soon....

Diary 1/23/12

Sunday's event was a two year old's birthday party complete with masses of bubbles.  The kids had fun with toys, a gecko, dogs and a kitten.  

The sky cleared off this morning and didn't seem to know what to do about it at first as the fog and leftover moisture in the air dissipated into thin air.  Still cool, but warmer and rainy through the week capping off with sun and fifties on Friday. I am cleaning drawers and closets, but have to be careful of the throw it away mood I get in sometimes.  Months later I may repent my non-materialistic ways.  Still, there are coats we haven't worn for years and some pictures to sort if I can get that far back in the closet.

Diary 1/21/11

More cold and wet.  I'm staying in for the day except maybe to visit chickens.  Have no big plans to get cold and soaked.

Diary 1/18/12

It is amazing how much water the snow around here has taken in and still has not melted away. I guess that is because it is still so cold.  Not much to go out about except I was planning on a spinach salad for dinner and so far I have not trained Garden Dog to fetch spinach (or much else). So, I do need to go out to do that and all that is waiting for me is wet sogginess with a side order of slush. 4.4 inches of rain in two days on top of 3 inches of snow will do that for you! In honor of it all, I am posting sunflowers from a cheerier day!

1/18/12

I use Google and Wikipedia a lot.  If they don't think this privacy act is a good idea, I don't think I do either. Will listen to the news in the morning and see if the fallout is enough to get senate thinking.  Can't hurt to let them know how I feel, also.  For now I will just say that it seems like the spread of knowledge can't be a bad thing, and I have read through(and bought) more books and read more people's thoughts because of these site than I would have without them, so where does the piracy thing come in?  There are the sites you have to join and pay, and I don't ever get to the point where I have done so, so in my mind those people's articles, papers, journals, or whatever they may have had to share have been silenced by profit. If they silence the free sites then where does true freedom of speech come in? Heavy! I need to get outside and garden. huh?

Diary 1/17/12

Dreary.  That is the word for today.  Just a bit more snow in the morning and then dark and yes, dreary, the rest of the day.  I went out for a walk, but after only a few minutes, I was ready to go back in. Even the chickens didn't go very far out into their yard.  I only saw grey squirrels out and they were very busy sensing the impending storm, maybe.

1/16/12

I am currently reading The Help and watched a few special for Martin Luther King Day.  I am always amazing how few obese people there are.  No high fructose corn syrup back then.  Sorry.  We had overnight snow and a high of maybe 37 today.  If you go outside and get cold, the best remedy is HOT CHOCOLATE!

Diary 1/15/12

Woke up to a skiff of snow.  It is 30 degrees and the snow is light and dry, so not much accumulation at this rate.  Some snow is in the forecast for the next few days and then a warm up with heavy rain.  That ought to bring creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, and maybe even mountain tops some much needed precipitation.  Just wish it could all be snow for skier's and snow pack's sake. Better late than never, but we need a good amount to catch up and make a difference for later.

1/12/12

Bleak might be the other word I could use.  The daily freezing has everything on hold.  With no rain or snow, it is as if everything is hibernating and dormant, no life at all.  I know with a warm up and some moisture, things, even the littlest things, will show growth and the move toward Spring will begin.  For now, it is all cold and frozen out there in the shade and only slightly thawed daily where the sun hits the soil, only to freeze again by nightfall. The weather is predicted to change during the weekend and even beyond, switching us out of this high pressure event that had been going on for weeks.  If so, there may be a bit of snow here and hopefully some for the ski resorts that have not opened this year due to lack of snow!  The late rains of last Spring kept the onions from finishing in time for winter. The picture shows all that were now harvested because they did not bulb.  Will it repeat this year with late rains to make up for low water year?  I think I will plant them in a sunnier place this year anyway.

Diary 1/10/12

Looking at seed catalog with an idea of streamlining my orders.  I really like High Mowing Seed Co. as I think they have not sold out to the big seed companies, and are a small American business trying to do the right thing.  There seeds are organic as well. I will still have some favorites to buy from Territorial Seed Co. right here in Oregon, and good ole Burpee Seed Co. which sells the hybrids we can't seem to find better varieties of. I will buy less of all of them and all fresh seed, as it seems seeds from some of these companies have a one year shelf life.

Diary 1/9/12Stark

Stark.  That is the word I am thinking of as I walk around outside.  It is so dry that the oak leaves are still in piles on the ground under the trees.  They did not deteriorate at all. It is so dry that you can make dust when things thaw out. Nothing is changing and it feels like the depth of winter is upon us. My live willow chair needs weaving, some pruning, and maybe some staves to fortify the back.

Diary 1/8/11

Has it really been 4 days since I lat blogged.  Wow, how time flies when you are busy entertaining a 2 year old!  Getting a schedule down and some options for play alone here, so it is getting better, but still very busy... I say these arums were already up.  Something to look at out in the yard.  I am sure crocus stems are close to up, or up, but with the cold twenty-something nights, it may be early.  Scary about all the dry weather we have had and what is predicted to remain a pattern despite La Nina set-up.  Rogueweather. com is a new website I am visiting.  The guy has some interesting things to say, and we may be in for a super dry summer which has all kinds of repercussions.  Fort me it just means a bad bug year.  The low humidity early seems to really bring on the bug hatches and if you are not paying attention because you think it is early, it can get out of control before you even realize you have a problem.  I noticed this three years ago with striped cucumber beetles.  I hope it isn't a repeat of that year, but at least I know to be vigilant.

Diary 1/4/12

I am trying to like the dry partly sunny weather, but to tell the truth, I want it to SNOW!!!

Diary 1/3/11

Well here we go on another year full of unexpected joys and sorrows.  Hope I am up to it! The days have gone back to sunny and fair with cold nights.  The only sign of snow I see isn't until Thursday night and even that is a slim chance.  These winters of late have varied so drastically, there is no predicting really, but I am getting ready for another rainy cool spring in case there is a repeat of last year. Here we have a picture of Sacajawea(Garden Girl) giving Dog Dog (Garden Dog) directions.  He listens because he likes the perks at the bottom of her highchair more than any other part of hanging out with this two year old.

Diary 1/1/12

Happy New Year. How many times will I write 2011 before I get it right?  Ah well. The sun was out and it was mild enough to spend time outside, though I didn't get much done.  Wonder why?!! Her are a couple buck deer rubs I spied on a walk, both are fairly close to the garden.  The deer population is getting scary. Fencing soon.